DBG - November 5 - Luke 23-24

In this chapter Christ is condemned and crucified.

vs. 1-5 – This parallels Matthew 27:11-14, Mark 15:1-5, and John 18:28-38.  After being condemned for heresy by the Sanhedrin, Christ is taken to the Roman authorities.  Pilate is the Roman prefect over the province of Judaea.  The charge made against Christ is sedition for calling Himself a king.  Pilate is not convinced of His guilt, but the Jews grew more insistent on His guilt. 

vs. 6-12 – Hearing that Christ was from Galilee, Pilate sees a chance to have Him tried by Herod Antipas since He was from Herod’s jurisdiction.  This is the same Herod who had murdered John the Baptist.  Christ does not answer any of his questions or perform any miracles for him.  Herod’s soldiers mock Christ by parading Him like a king back to Pilate.

vs. 13-25 – This parallels Matthew 27:15-16, Mark 15:6-15, and John 18:39-40.  Pilate continues to argue that Christ is innocent, but to please the Jews, he has Him beaten.  The Jews are unmoved.  They refuse to allow Christ to be released and choose Barabbas (not named by Luke) instead.  Christ is condemned by Pilate to be crucified that day. 

vs. 26 – This parallels Matthew 27:31-34, Mark 15:20-23, and John 19:16-17.  Christ is unable to carry His cross after the abuse He had suffered at the hands of the Roman soldiers.  Simon, from the African province of Cyrene, is compelled to carry the cross for Him.

vs. 27-32 – Some of the women that followed Christ wept as they watched the proceedings.  Christ tells them there is no need to weep for Him, but they should weep for themselves.  Israel had rejected its Messiah.  Judgment, not blessing, was coming, culminating in the Tribulation.

vs. 33-34 – This parallels Matthew 27:35-38, Mark 15:24-28, and John 19:18-22.  Christ is crucified between two criminals. 

vs. 35-43 – This parallels Matthew 27:39-44 and  Mark 15:29-32.  He is mocked by the onlookers and soldiers who gambled for His clothes.  Christ prays for mercy on these, knowing that they were unaware of what was truly occurring.  It was not the death of a man, but the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.  The charges are posted on a sign on the cross in three languages.  Greek was the almost universal trade language of the Roman Empire.  Latin was the official language of that Empire.  Hebrew was the local language of the province.  Basically, any literate person who saw this sign could read at least one of them.

vs. 44-45 - This parallels Matthew 27:45-47 and Mark 15:33-35.  The sixth hour is noon, and in what should have been the brightest part of the day was overtaken by supernatural darkness.  An eclipse cannot occur in the middle of a lunar month, and this lasts far longer than any possible eclipse.  Luke has the veil of the Temple being rent during the darkness and not at Christ’s death, but the timing of these events is often compressed. 

vs. 46 - This parallels Matthew 27:51-56 and Mark 15:35-37.  Christ lays down His life with a final cry.

vs. 47-49 - This parallels Matthew 27:51-56 and  Mark 15:38-41.  Those witnessing these events are not untouched.  The Roman centurion says Christ must have been innocent for such things to take place.  The people “smote their breasts,” a sign of anguish.  The women who followed Christ watched all of this.

vs. 50-56 - This parallels Matthew 27:57-61, Mark 15:42-47, and John 19:31-42.  Joseph of Arimathea is given the body of Christ.  There is no time to prepare the body for burial because the Passover, which was observed as a sabbath day, began at sundown.  The women go to prepare the necessary items to properly prepare Christ’s body after the sabbath.

In this chapter, Christ rises from the dead and ascends into Heaven.

vs. 1-3 – This parallels Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2-4, and John 20:1-2.  It is early Sunday morning when the ladies came to finish preparing Christ’s body for burial.  The Jews would allow a body to decompose in a crypt, then later return and place the remains in an ossuary box.  The women arrive to find the stone rolled back and the tomb empty.

vs. 4-8 – This parallels Matthew 28:5-7 and Mark 16:5-7.  Angels declare to the women that Christ had risen from the dead.  They remind them that Christ Himself had said this would happen. 

vs. 9-11 – This parallels Matthew 28:8-10 and Mark 16:8.  The women report back to the disciples what they had seen.  The disciples do not immediately believe.

vs. 12 – This parallels John 20:3-10.  John records that it was both he and Peter who raced to the empty tomb.  Luke only mentions Peter, but the details of the event are nonetheless the same. 

vs. 13-35 – This parallels Mark 16:12-13 and I Corinthians 15:5.  Emmaus was a small town about seven miles northwest of Jerusalem.  Two of Christ’s disciples who were not part of the Twelve are traveling there.  One is identified as Cleopas (“glory of the father”).  They had heard rumors of the events of the day.  Christ approaches them, but His identity is withheld from them.  Christ explains what had happened over the last few days in light of Scripture.  When they arrive at Emmaus, they beg Him to stay with them.  It is after He blesses bread and passes it to them that they are able to recognize Him.  I like to think that this is the first time they saw His nail-pierced hands.  They return to Jerusalem and report this to the other disciples.  They also discover that Christ had appeared to Simon Peter.

vs. 36-49 – This parallels Mark 16:14-18, John 20:19-23, and I Corinthians 15:5.  Christ appears to His disciples.  He proves Himself to be more than a spirit by His body and by eating food.  This seems to be the occasion when Thomas was not present.  He teaches them about what had taken place according to the Scriptures. 

vs. 50-53 – This parallels Mark 16:19-20 and Acts 1:9-12.  Christ ascends from the Mount of Olives and is received into Heaven.  Luke notes that the disciples return to Jerusalem and the Temple with rejoicing. He will pick up the history from this point in the Book of Acts.

Christ’s ascension does not get the attention that it deserves.  We celebrate His resurrection because it proves His victory over sin.  His ascension proves that He is still active on our behalf and promises that He will come again. 

“Hail the Day that Sees Him Rise” by Charles Wesley in 1739.

Hail the day that sees him rise,
Ravish'd from our wishful eyes!
Christ, a while to mortals giv'n,
Re-ascends his native heaven.
There the pompous triumph waits;
"Lift your heads, eternal gates!
"Wide unfold the radiant scene,
"Take the King of Glory in!"

Him though highest heaven receives,
Still he loves the earth he leaves;
Though returning to his throne,
Still he calls mankind his own;
Still for us he intercedes,
Prevalent his death he pleads;
Near himself prepares our place,
Harbinger of human race.

Master (may we ever say)
Taken from our head to-day;
See thy faithful servants see,
Ever gazing upon thee!
Grant, though parted from our sight:
High above yon azure height,
Grant our hearts may thither rise,
Foll'wing thee beyond the skies.

Ever upward let us move,
Wafted on the wings of love,
Looking, when our Lord shall come,
Longing, gasping after home;
There we shall with thee remain;
Part'ners of thine endless reign;
There thy face unclouded see,
Find our heav'n of heav'ns in thee.